Lever-controlled switch.



M. HOPFMZNN.

LEVER CONTROLLED SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2, 1907.

M. HO PPMANN.

LEVER CONTROLLED SWITOIL Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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.To all whom it may concern: Y

UNITED sr Tns irArENtr OFFICE.-

[MAX HOFFMANN, or BERLIN, G R AN AS$1GNOR T0 PAUL MEYER, AKQII'EN GESELL- i SCHAFT, or BERLIN, GERMANY. v

Lnvnn-con'monmn swr'rcn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aplil so, 1909.

Apylication .filecl February 2, .1907. Serial No. 855,844.

Be it known that 1, MAX HorFMANN, a citizen of the Em ire of Germany, residing at Berlin, in the mpire 'of Germany, have invented a new and useful Lever-Controlled Switch, of which the following is a specificatlon.

In electric switches and cut-outs it is very desirable that the pressure for ressing brushes 'on contact -ieces or termina s be not exerted direct by t e operator, the more so if aheavy current is to pass through the brush. In such" cases hitherto toggle levers were mostly em loyed, which ermit to move quickly the rush so long as 1t does not oflerany resistance, and to produce'at the last moment a strongapressure on the brush with a small exertion y theQPerator, so that the brush may be distorted and thoroughly pressed on the terminals. However the toggle levers present the defect, that the varymg speed, with which the brush is moved, being a sine function can not be determined at w ll.

My invention relates to a new kind of levencontrolled switches, whereby the advantage is obtained, that the speed of the brush durin mined at wi it bein made large during its operation can be deter that part of the path, uring whiehno ressure needs be exerted on the brush, an the said speed being made. to considerably decrease trom the moment, at which the distortion of the brush commences, so that the s eed is minimal at the moment, at which e maximum pressure is produced with a small exertion by the o erator. I

The chief feature 0 the new lever-controlled switch is a cam, which is pivotally connected with the lever.

I will now roceed to describe my invention with re erence to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of a lever-controlled switch, in which a single support is provided for the parts, Fig. 2 is similar to ig. 1 but modified in that twb supports are rovided for the 1parts and that the o crating liaver is forked, ig. 3 is a horizonta section through the broken line AB in Fig. 2', and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the forked lever and two cams. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the switch in its open position; Fig. 6 is Fig. 1 shows a lever-controlled switch with a single support and a movable cam. 1 denotes a sultable base plate of insulating material, on which two terminals 2 and 3"ar e' fastened. The latter may be connected with the respective circuit or conductors (not shown) inany known manner and are to be connected with one another at will by means of a yielding brush 5. The one terminal 3 is shown as made in one piece with a'vertical support 4*, on which referably three pins 6, 7 and 8 are provi ed. On the pin 6 a lever 9 and a cam 10 are mounted to rockindependently of each other. provided with a'handle 11 of insulating material., 0n the in 7 a a lever 12 is mounted to rock, which etween its two ends is provided with a roller 13 on a pin 14. The free end of the lever 12 is pivotally connected with the brush 5, which may be of any ,known construction. The free end of the lever 12 is connected with a pin15 on the lever 9 by means of 'a' helical spring 16. The pin 8. serves as a stop for t e cam 10? The latter is rovided w th two teeth 17 and 18, on eit er of which the in 15 on the lever 9 can act. The cam 10 1s "adaptedtb work the roller 13 on thelever 12 and is at the most distant point from the pin 6 rovided with a shallow recess 19, in which t' e roller 1.3 can en age. 7 the severa parts the tension of the helical spring 16 may be made moderate. I

TlllS lever-controlled switch is operated as follows In the osition of the several parts shown in Fig. 1 t e two terminals 2 and Sare electrically connected by means of the yielding brush 5. For disconnecting the two ter The lever 9 is.

For the position shown of minals 2 and 3 from each other the handle-11 is seized by the operator and moved from right to left. During this motion the in 15 can freely move in the space between t e two teeth 18 and 17 so that the helical springlfi. will be stretched by means of the pin 1 5'and the operator needs only to strain this spring up to the maximum of its tension at the moment that the pin 15 strikes the tooth 17. The operatorin further turning the handle. 11'

will have to exert a certain force for shiftin the cam '10 while slightly depressing the roller 13 and the lever 12. From an examination'of the fi re it will be clear, that only the friction produced by the maximum pressure between the roller 13 and the cam10 needs to be overcome for shiftin the cam 10 by means of the handle 11, hen at last the farthest point of the cam 10 leaves the roller 13, the latter under the action of the maximum pressure of the spring 16 will roll on the cam 10 toward the pin 6 and thus turnthe cam 10in a direction opposite to that of the hands of a clock, so that thestrained helical spring 16 will be released and will violently turn the lever 12 upward andthus suddenly detach the brush 5 from the two terminals 2 and 3. Thetooth 18 of the cam 10 ma then. strike the pin 15, whereby the turn 0 the cam 10 is limited. As the cam 10 is not balanced, of course itwill turn back and rest on the roller 13. The pin 8 serving as a stop may limit the turn of the lever 97 from right to left. Henceforward the several parts may occupy a position, which is determined by the tension of the helical spring 16, the lever 9 resting with its pin 15 on the tooth 18 of the cam 10 and the cam 10 in turn resting on the roller 13, while the two levers 9 and 12 are drawn together by means' of the helical spring 16. Thus the brush 5 is ke t detached from the two terminals 2 and 3 By means of the helical s rin 16.

r switching on the brus 5 the handle 1 1 is seized by the operator and'is turned downward from left to right. During this motion the in 15 on the lever 9-will bear against the toot 18 of the cam lOand will thereby turn the latter, so that the cam-10 will depress the roller 13 and the lever 12 and thus lower the brush 5, while .a little stretching the helical spring 16. The moment that the brush 5 comes in contact with the two terminals 2 and 3, the in 15 on the lever 9 will by the tooth 18 of the cam 10 act u on the latter for further depressing the ro er 13 and therewith the lever 12 and the brush 5 while further stretching the helical spring 16. Thebrush 5 will therefore be distorted until the roller 13 engages in the shallow-recess 19 of the cam 10, w en the brush 5 will be tightlypressed on the two terminals 2 and 3 with the maxia The lever-controlled switch may be varied in many respects without departing from the spirit of my invention. For exam is two parallel supports 4, 4, see Figs. 2 an 3, may

e provided, between which the parts 6, 7, 8,

9, 10, 12 and 13 may be located. The lever lever pivoted in said support, a

12 may consist of two side parts between which the roller 13 is placed, as is shown at Figs, 2 and'3. The lever 9 may be forked, see the part 9 in Figs.2 and 4 and there may be. two separate cams 10, 10.

1. In a lever-controlled switch, the combination with two terminals, of a su port, a lever pivoted in said support, a flexible brush pivotally connected wit said lever and ada ted to be pressed on said two terminals or closing the circuit, a pivot in said support, an.

operating lever mounted, to rock on said pivot, a cam mounted to rock on said pivot and adapted to press on said lever for pressing on said brush, means fOf-tlfiIlSIIllttlIl" the motion from said operating lever to Sfl,l( cam for operating and releasing same, and a helical spring connectin said lever with said operating lever for suddenly detaching said brush from said two terminals.

2. In a lever-controlled switch, the combination with two terminals, of a sup ort, a exible brush pivotally connected with said lever and adapted to be pressed on said two terminals for-closing the circuit, lapivot in said support, an operating lever mounted to rock on said, pivotand provided with a pin, a cam mounted to rock on said pivot and adapted to press on said lever for pressing on said brush, said cam being provided with two teeth either of which the pin on said operating lever can strike for turning the cam in the respective direction, and a helical spring connecting said lever with the pin of said operating lever and ada ted to suddenly detach said brush from sai two terminals on said cam being released.

3. In a lever-controlled switch, the combination with two terminals, of a support, a lever pivoted in said support and provided with a projection, a fiexlble brush pivotally connected with said lever and adapted to be pressed on said two terminals for closing the circuit, a pivot in said support, a cam mounted to rock on said pivot and adapted to slide over the pro'ection of said lever and thereby to press sai brush on said two terminals, it having two teeth and on its point farthest from said pivot a shallow recess for engagement with said projection, an operating lever mounted to rock on said pivot and provided with a pin adapted to strike either tooth of said cam and to thereby turn the'latter in the respective direction, and a helical spring connecting said lever with the pin on said operating lever, the two teeth on said cam leaving a certain amount of play to the pin on said operating lever so that the latter for breaking the circuit is permitted to strain said helical spring u to the maximum of its tension before it str res one tooth and thereby shifts said cam out of en agement with the projection on said lever, w ereupon nected with said lever and adapted to be pressed on said two terminals for closing the circuit, a pivot in said support, an operating lever mounted to ,rock on said pivot, a cam mounted to rock on said pivot and adapted to press on the roller on said lever for pressing on said brush, means for transmitting the motion from said operating lever to said cam for operating and releasing same, and a helical sprin connectin said lever with said operating ever for su denly detaching said brush from said two terminals. 1 I,

5. In a lever-controlled switch, the cornbination with two terminals, of a support, a lever pivoted in said support and provided with a roller, a flexible brush pivotally connected with said lever and adapted to be pressed on said two terminals for closing the circuit, a pivot in said support, an operating lever mounted to rock on said pivot and 'pro vided with a pin, a cam mounted to rock on said pivot and adapted to press on the roller on said lever for ressing on said. brush, said cam being provid ied with two teeth either of which the pin on said operating lever can strike for turning the cam in the respective direction, and a helical spring connecting said lever with said operating lever and sai ada ted to suddenly detach said brush-from two terminals on said cam being released.

6. In a lever-controlled switch, the combination with two terminals, of a sup ort, a lever pivoted in said support, a ro or on said lever, a flexible brush pivotally connected with said lever and adapted to be pressed on said two terminals for closing the circuit, a pivot in said support, a cam mounted to rock on said pivot and adapted to slide over said roller for pressing said lever. on said brush,- it' having two teeth and on its point farthest from said pivot a shallow recess for engagement with said roller, an operating lever mounted to rock on said pivot and provided with a pin adapted to strike either tooth of said cam and to thereby turn the latter in the respective direction, and a heli-v cal spring connecting said lever with the pin onsaid operating lever, the two teeth on said cam leaving a certain amount of play to the in on said operating lever so that the latter or breaking the circuit is ermitted to strain said helical spring u to t e maximum of its tension before it str' (es one tooth and thereby shiftssaid cam out of engagement with said roller, whereupon the strained s ring suddenl detaches said brush from sai two termina s.

p MAX HOFFMANN. Witnesses:

HENRY HASPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT. 

